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Paradise Is a Place of Reward Not Worship

Question

If this world is a test and we must pass it by following the rules and obligations of Islam, then in the next world do we continue as normal by worshipping Allah 5 times a day if, Insha Allah, we Muslims go to Heaven?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

A Muslim should believe in the Day of Judgment. There will be great changes in this world from the beginning of that Day. The heavens will split asunder, the stars will fall and scatter, the earth will crumble and become a bare dry soil, the mountains will be heap of sand poured out and flowing down, and everything on the earth will be destroyed.

Allah Says (what means): {On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens, and they (all creatures) will appear before Allah, the One, the Irresistible.} [Quran 14: 48]

Then, the Trumpet will be blown for a second time and all the people will raise again with their souls and bodies. At that time the disbelievers and hypocrites will say (what means): {"O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?" [The reply will be], "This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth."} [Quran 36: 52]

After that they will be gathered in a place for judgment and justice. Allah Says (what means): {On the Day We will gather the righteous to the Most Merciful as a delegation. And will drive the criminals to Hell in thirst.} [Quran 19: 85-86]

At that time Allah will reward everyone according to his deeds. Allah Says (what means): {Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it; and whoever comes with an evil deed - then those who did evil deeds will not be recompensed except [as much as] what they used to do.} [Quran 28: 84]

This will be done after a just trial, checking in the written pages of deeds and weighing good and bad deeds. Then people will return from the place of Judgment to pass on the bridge laid across Hell. Everyone who passes safely will enter Paradise and whoever cannot pass will go to the Hellfire. Allah Says (what means): {Then We will save those who feared Allah and leave the wrongdoers within it, on their knees.} [Quran 19: 72]

All the above are very brief details about the Day of Judgment.

Those who enter Paradise will stay in full comfort and eternal blessings since the hardship ends with the end of this world, while the Hereafter is the place of reward not the place of deeds.

The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Allah said, 'I have prepared for My pious worshipers such things as no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard of, and nobody has ever imagined. All that is reserved, besides which, all that you have seen, is nothing." Then he recited: {And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.} [Quran 32.17]” [Al-Bukhari and Ibn Maajah]

Allah informed us of the saying of the inhabitants of the Paradise; Allah Says (what means): {And they will say, "Praise be to Allah, who has fulfilled for us His promise and made us inherit the earth [so] we may settle in Paradise wherever we will. And excellent is the reward of [righteous] workers."} [Quran 39: 74]

The people in Paradise will be inspired the Tasbeeh (i.e. saying: Glory be to Allah) and the Tahmeed (i.e. saying: Praise be to Allah) just as breathing.

Finally, a Muslim should believe in the Hereafter and there is no prayer, fasting or other religious obligations in the Hereafter. There is only the reward of deeds.

For more benefit on Paradise, please refer to Fataawa 340924, 339019, 327145, 28419, and 11317.

Allah knows best.

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